Writing Questions: Punctuation

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<p>I'm usually a stickler when it comes to grammar and punctuation, but I've noticed many people don't follow the same rules that I've been taught by my English teachers. I was wondering if anyone could answer a few questions I have.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Does punctuation go inside quotation marks? If what I'm quoting doesn't have a question mark, but I'm asking a question, should I place the question mark inside or outside the quotes?</p></li>
<li><p>When making a name that ends with an S possessive, should I add an apostrophe with another S, or should I only add an apostrophe? For example, how would I correctly write "James' dog?"</p></li>
<li><p>Let's say for a party invitation somebody writes "The Bennetts are having a party!"
a) Should it be Bennetts' or should it remain the way it is?
b) Would it be different if the family's surname naturally ends with an S?</p></li>
<li><p>What is the difference between semicolons, parentheses, and hyphens? Please provide examples! </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Please don't simply quote another website or link one. I've found many contradicting statements online so I decided to ask these questions here. Thanks. :)</p>

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<p>1.) Place a question mark within the quotation marks if it applies to the quotation itself, but if the question mark applies to the whole sentence, put it outside. Same with exclamation points.</p>

<p>2.) “James’s dog,” if James is singular. If the James are a family, and therefore James is a plural noun, use “Jameses’ dog.”</p>

<p>3.) a–No apostrophe. No possession there.
b–Standard -es ending, I think. Bennetses.</p>

<p>4.) Parentheses (which can become a burden to the reader if used too frequently) are used to denote somewhat unnecessary but pertinent information in context; the sentence would be grammatically correct without it, but it’s worth including (e.g. as an afterthought or explanation). </p>

<p>A semicolon connects two independent clauses (i.e. complete sentences) so that one longer sentence is formed; in this way, the author can perhaps achieve greater fluidity–but he or she risks creating a run-on effect. A semicolon is also used which forming lists in which the items in the list contain commas. For example, one list could be “Hey, honey, get me eggs, milk, and cheddar–actually, make that mozzarella!” But another, with commas in the list items, would look like this: “I sent out three letters back on December 8, 2013; December 14, 2013; and December 26, 2013. Since she hasn’t replied, I’m not planning on sending out another.”</p>

<p>Dashes are used to mark a break in the reading, or to mark a sudden change of direction on the same topic. If employed in the first way, they are similar to parentheses, and are used twice–once to open the statement, and once more to close it–before the sentence is finished. If used in the second way, the clause after the dash usually finishes out the sentence–like this.</p>

<p>I wasn’t sure if you meant dash, which has two horizontal lines, or hyphen, which has one, so I went with dash because its function is closer to the other two marks you asked about. If you meant hyphen, let me know. I’ll try to add/edit/reply again.</p>

<p>Hope this helps!</p>

<p>If I’m wrong, anybody, please correct me.</p>